This dashboard presents a global exploration of the relationship between urbanization and malaria incidence over the period 1990–2005, using data sourced from Gapminder’s public datasets, which compile and harmonize data from official sources like the World Bank and WHO.
Indicators Used in the DashboardUrbanization is measured using the variable “urban_percent”, which represents the percentage of a country’s population living in urban areas—a widely accepted indicator of urban development.
The selection of urban population percentage as the indicator for urbanization offers a reliable and comparable measure of the share of people living in urban areas across countries. This metric captures the degree of urban development, which is often linked to improvements in infrastructure, healthcare access, and vector control—factors that can influence malaria transmission.
Malaria incidence is captured by the variable “malaria_incidence_per_100k”, indicating the number of new malaria cases per 100,000 people per year.
These two indicators allow for standardized, cross-country comparisons over time and help reveal how changes in urban environments may influence the spread and control of malaria.
You can explore the full dataset on the Gapminder Data Source.
Peak Year
2001
Highest Incidence in 100k
9990.0 in Guinea in 2002
Decline (1990–2005)
-19.2%
Maximum Malaria Incidence by Continent (1990–2005)| Continent | Country | Year | Malaria incidence per 100k | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1306 | Africa | Guinea | 2002 | 9990.000 |
| 569 | America | Guyana | 1995 | 8030.000 |
| 844 | Asia | Yemen | 1997 | 8380.000 |
| 925 | Europe | Russia | 1998 | 0.729 |
| 1267 | Oceania | Vanuatu | 2001 | 9750.000 |
AFRICA
ASIA
AMERICA
Africa bears a significant burden of malaria, with many countries experiencing consistently high incidence rates throughout the years. In contrast, Asia and America display more varied malaria patterns.
Over the 15-year period from 1990 to 2005, although there were sharp declines in malaria incidence at certain points, the overall number of cases increased by the end of the period in Africa
The malaria trend in America showed a rise and fall similar to that observed in Africa, but on a smaller scale—ultimately resulting in more malaria cases by the end of the 15 years.
Asia, on the other hand, followed a different trajectory. Unlike the other regions, malaria incidence in Asia generally declined over the entire period, ending with significantly fewer cases in 2005 compared to 1990.
Avg Urbanization in Countries with >50% Malaria Decline
53.1
High Urbanization & Rising Malaria
Gabon (+24.1%)
Correlation between Urbanization & Malaria:
-0.08
Africa stands out as the region with the highest malaria burden, where many countries experience very high incidence rates even in moderately or highly urbanized areas. Generally, malaria incidence tends to be higher in regions with low urbanization; however, some highly urbanized areas also report elevated malaria rates. This indicates that urbanization alone is not enough to reduce malaria without concurrent investments in infrastructure, healthcare, and vector control measures.
Among African countries, Gabon stands out as a highly urbanized country with a persistently high malaria incidence. For more detailed insights into Gabon’s malaria situation, see the ScienceDirect article.
In contrast, the Americas and Asia display a clearer negative relationship between urbanization and malaria incidence. As urbanization increases, malaria rates tend to decrease significantly in these regions. However, the correlation observed in the dataset is very weak, indicating that urbanization alone does not fully explain the variation in malaria incidence.
Europe and Oceania show limited data. Europe has virtually eliminated malaria, which aligns with its high urbanization and robust health systems. Oceania exhibits sporadic malaria cases, mostly concentrated in less urbanized countries or territories.
Over the period from 1990 to 2005, although malaria incidence increased in some continents, it has generally declined globally, while urbanization levels have seen a slight rise across continents.